Fluid-clutch.



movement and' 'thereby connect -niembers .4

. ovferned-b'the control/of l 4een-heretofore-1 UNITED sr-TEs-PATENT oFFoE.

ALD a citizen of the 'United States` residing.

ication.

4the iow of the proposed. but the metePH---Qf .Sl'h, fat.: leest asia general'type,jisdxlcult einem mei-cial oonstrnctixlfn'," is not'belnedhnya'or" tion, end depensupon. theend-:Mgp-ihe" l ypiston for lthe .-f. pressure from The" inventionfhesjfor' its object within thechamber... evalve hes u 'cruclform extension- -itting the secton' 12 to 1 guide the valve`in movement, and apn 15 'vided the form of'oppsed -radlllf-act at outh Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and4 State of Indiana, have invent/ed certem new and useful Improvements ,in Fluld- Clutches,- of which the following is. a speci- This invention in balanced pistons moving s; fluid, ofsuch Fluidj clutches A uid have resist'. ences".

i, the piston fiction is baleneedon "theldriven 'y cylindrical wall-6 forming a cyllin v an I adjacent 'end shaft, and the rrajngement-ofA thecylinders i andV valve' chambers within the clutch -mem; $0A

- ment ofthe structure.

bersimplified for' lthe coxnrnerciel betten In the drewings :--l L Figure L isrggvertical section, V partly in elevation, illlieteting the c onstructionzl.

' 2'is1axsectioh on line 2-52Qof Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is efsestion on 11ne`3-3 o'f Fig. 1;.' illustrating the Fig." 4 is alnd elevation valve control The improvedV clntehf4 is here shown as comprising a.4 cylindrical casing `1, havingan Iend wall 2' and an 'annuler sidewell .3,1 that end of the casn ,o pasito-the vval1'2.

rm a fluid-tight juncture.-

'At diametrica-lly o postte end wall t ereof, is arranged, by, casting ,or

These block-like extensions are "interiorly valve chambers. Forexamfple, as shown,

.each extension hesenffe proximetel centr-el" eri-.th j al1 1.6'and' Speccatlon of ietters Patent.

l relates to E'clutches ofl'the A ud-controlled, type, wherein-the connecltion between the clutch members 1 s .pro-

.. 4apelrtures`- 17 o p hints-within. the 4casin and to t e'iahn erfand fixed.

valve chamber 9 ,1' end ml-spcebetvveen the opposing sections of the-wa-ll'f,` and' theopposite end -tvall 10 'of the extension' forming an' exhaust" valve chamber 11.V .Thc respece l Patented Se1-). t..i, i918. --fiiniiieanon fue@ January 1051913. sermnexzunssqj tive Valve chambers extend throughout the'4 fulll width of the casing, including the space.

Within' the extension beyond the cylinder L The cylinders ere larranged-in exact diametric opposition ,in the casing, and asi'; particular' feature of the present invention,

it will beiiotedthat the outer ends of the cylinders 7, orthoseendswithinthe' extension terminate inwardl' l of the nnnlr wall .of the casing, so thatt e interior ofthe cy l' inder is, in. the a'bsenceof the piston be referred to, .fullyind freely epee fwboth the inlet sind. exhaust va'l'velchembers'f'- 'One well of. the inletvelve chamber is formed with im'jo enin' to receive anan- -projecting-from its inner lsurface to receive thereby' VYnorma ly' 'hold" the valve closed.

war movement ,of the valve -to prevent pos- 'siblity'of'the entireseparetion of the 'element from its, seat member.-4

The' exhaust valvechambe'r is formed in what may 'be termed' its-bottom wall with spaced apertures 17, separaited'by' an interveiling solid 'wall portion .18 approximately coextensve. .with the apertures. A slide valve 19 is mounted-in-grooves in thewalls of the exhaust valveclimber-:inwardly of the bottoml wall, and is formed with an aperture 20 V ein'reslfiending in size to-one-of the is f aflen l l1' equel'fto'the-sim'ilar ldimension offon'e' of t e apertures' 17' and -the 'solid porti'18ys that infone' fullpostion ofthe "v'aIve both. apertures 17 area open, while in theotherpomttJnbth pertures are closed.l

valve isjaxiapted for. any inposition desi-red.

A, iston 21 is operetivein each cyln er 7, and these plisto's 'ere connected' for cre kA action up'onjt e driven shaft 22.A This-s ft, which is extended beyond thesclutch for .1 opposite' end .a' inst the cylinder-WML to thebottordwelL The valve from the straps and desired purpose, is rotatably mounted in a bearing 23 formed by a central enlargement of the removable end plate or wall 4 of the casing; the extreme end of the shaft being mounted in a blind bearing 24 extending inwardly from the fixed end wall 2 of the casing. Secured upon the driven shaft in radial line with the respective pistons are disks 25. These disks'Q are mounted eccentrically on the driven shaft, are in direct diametric opposition in their eccentric relation to the shaft, and these disks are connected to the respective pistons through the medium of eccentric straps 26 encircling and radially bearing on the peripheral edges of the disks and connecting rods 27 extending having. wrist pin connection's 28 with the hollow pistons.

As preferred and as here shown, the hollow extensions in which the valve chambers and cylinders are formed are. slightly off set from the true transversealinement with respect to the end Wall 2 of the casing, permitting a direct drive between the particular piston and its crank disk.

The driving shaft 29 is connected directly I 'to the fixed end wall of the casing, preferably by'having the end. enlargement 30 of such shaft bolted or otherwise secured to a centrally-arranged thickened porticn 31 of the-casing Wall.

The exhaust valves are of course to be operated to control the fiow of Huid, and a preferred type of such operating means is here shown as a. collar 32 slidably mounted on the driving shaft immediately beyond the casing and having radial arms 33 to engage 'stems 34 projecting from the respective exhaust valves. The stems 34 extend through the fixed Wall 2 of the casing, in a manner to prevent leakage, and are provided with coil springs 35 bearing between the Wall and4 collars on the stems to normally hold the exhaust valve open. A shifting `collar 36 is loosely mounted on the drivingshaft 29 and adapted to engage the collart32. Anti-friction balls 37. are arranged in a raceway formed in the adjacent faces ofthe collaz's to minimize friction, as the collar 32 revolves with the casing while the c ollar 36 does. not revolve. A yoke 38 is loosely connectedto the shifting collar and has an upstanding arm 39 pivotally mountedpn a fix ture 40. A depending arm 4:1 is provided for-the'yoke and connected at its lower end to an operatin member 42, through use fof which, as wil be apparent, the exhaust valves may be simultaneously' shifted as may be desired.

The casini;r 1 is designed to be completely filled-'With a fluid, such for example as oil, a plug-closed filling opening 43 being provided in one wall of the casing for the purpose. The fluid completely fills the interior of the'casing, cylinders,

except for displacement, and valve chambers With the drivingr shaft in operation and the exhaust valves fully open the movement of 'the casing' induces a reciprocating play of the plston, but as the How of the oi] incident to such play is entirely free, the exhaust valve openings fully compensating for the piston displacement, there is no resistance to the play of the pistons, and hence no movement is imparted to the driven shaft. lfn this play of the pistons the fluid is drawn in through both the inlet and exhaust valves, the cylinders` being fully open' to both chambers. With the exhadst valves closed, fully cr to any desired degree, the outward flow of the fluid from the cylinders is re* tarded or checked, and hence the free phiy of the piston is prevented, and the resistanrw, thus created causes a retardation of the movement of the pistonsin direct proportion to the degree of checking of the fluid flow. This retardation causes` the pistons to exert a corresponding pressure on the crank disksl of the driven shaft, so that said sha-ft is thereby compelled to revolve.

Under a gradual c losi'ng of the check valve therefore, a gradual movement is imparted to the driven shaft, until when the exhaust valves are fully closed the driven shaft is moving as a unit with the clutch casing.

'In thearrangement described. a practically balanced structure is provided, the disks acting as opposed cranks. The resistingr force of the fluid is augmented by the fact that in the suction stroke ofthe pistons fluid is drawrrinto the cylinders 'through both the inlet and exhaust valves, and a materially simplified valve structure is provided for as a result of this arrange# ment. Furthermore the entire structure of the chambers, valves and cylinders is located with aA particular view to convenience in manufacture.

Having thus described the what is claimed as new, is

1. A fluid clutch for connecting a drivinvention,

`ing shaft to a driven shaft, comprising a' fluid-filled casingconnected to the driving shaft; hollowrextensions 'within thecasin and formed to provide a cylinder, an inlet valve chamber andan exhaust valve cham ber, inlet valves cont-rolling -the communication between thefjcasn'gand inlet -valve chamber, exhaustjrifalyes controlling the communication between the exhaust valve chamber und the a piston in each cylinder7 and oppos ,eccentric disks 'secured upon the driven s'tfaftl and connected to the pistons. 'Y

' 2. A uid clutch for connecting a driving shaft and driven filled casing-"opposed hollow extensions arranged', therein and formed to provide valvel chambers and a cylinder, that end of 4the cylinder Within the extension bein-g in amen.

12e4 shaft, comprising a. iin/idly" ilo communication with both chambers, pistons within the eylindersyopposed eccentric disks on the 'driven shnft,and connections .be-

tween said disks and the pistons.

8i A Huid clutchcomprising a driving Vceeing, opposed'extensions each formed to pendent inlet and exhaust chemrs and an intermediate cylinderl open to rovide in botli.chambers, anirilet valve for une valve chamber,v an exhaust slide valve foi.' the other valve chamber, means for simultaneously and similarly 4operating the exhaust valves, pistons V1n the cylinders, end crank connections .betvyeen said pistons end e; driven 15 member. y

4. A fluid. clutch comprising e driving easing, two diametrically opposed extensions each formed to provide independentinlet 'and exhaust chambers and an intermediete, I cylinder o'pen to both chambers, Ineens-'for manually controlling the exhaust liow from the exhaust chamber,V disks secured in opposed eocentricity `.upon u nlember tov be.

driven, and a. piston in` each cylinder connected to one of seid disks.

5. A uid clutch for connecting :i driving shaft to a driven shaft, comprising a Hui -filled casing connected to the drivlng sha t,diametrica1ly opposed. units arranged in and secured to the casing and each includ'- ing independent valve chambers und a cylinder freely open to both chambers` means for controlling thc fiuid lfiovv from one of Suid valve chambers of each unit, bearings formed in the opposing end wells of the casing to rotatably. receive thel driven shaft, disks secured on said shaft within the casing and between the bearings :ind mounted in direct opposition to each other und in eecentric relation te the driven shaft, :i piston operating iii each cylinder, eccentric straps encircling the disks, and connections between the respective straps and pistons.

In testimony Vwhereof I aiiix my signature.

' .FRANCIS R. MGDONALD. 

